Birmingham, Aug 4: Top seeds Dipika Pallikal and Saurav Ghosal sailed into the mixed doubles quarterfinals with a clinical 11-8, 11-4 win over the Wales pair of Emily Whitlock and Pater Creed at the Commonwealth Games here on Thursday.
The combination of Pallikal’s powerful forehand and Ghosal’s skillful backhand proved too good for the duo from Wales. The first game was intensely fought with teams locked at 6-6.
With India trailing 3-4, a stroke was awarded to the opposition and Pallikal did not seem pleased about it.
Pallikal’s forehand was even more lethal in the second game. From 2-2, the Indians raced to a 9-4 lead and Pallikal hit a forehand winner to complete the job.
Ghosal too had a spring in his steps a day after creating history by winning the first ever singles medal for India in CWG history.
Earlier on Thursday, Anahat Singh and Sunayna Kuruvilla entered the women’s doubles pre-quarterfinals.
They beat Yeheni Kuruppu and Chanithma Sinaly 11-9, 11-4 in a round of 32 contest. Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar also beat Luca Reich and Joe Chapman of the British Virgin Islands to enter the men’s doubles pre-quarterfinals. (PTI)
